The Beast of Bota Magna
by The Almighty Derp
Summary: After years of peace, Spherus Magna has fallen to invaders from beyond. A disgraced hero must rise against the threat, free his people, and make peace with his inner demons. But after years in the wild, is he still a hero, or a beast of the jungle?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Bionicle.

Nuhrii had dealt with his fair share of bad situations. From days where he wasted an entire shipment of disks with no mask to show for his labors, to almost being strangled by the Morbuzakh vines, the ta-matoran used to joke that he'd faced a Toa's share of perils. That being said, having an angry robot stalking you through a dense jungle was not his idea of a fun time. Then again, when did anyone have fun these days?

Nuhrii's thoughts were cut short by plasma-bolt. The matoran barely dodged the blast before bursting into a dense thicket. Panicking, he turned around to glimpse at his pursuer. To his dismay, and horror, the green robot was still gaining on him.

"You can't run from me forever," the robot (who sounded like a female) said, a sadistic note in her voice. "How about you just turn yourself in before I get angry?" Nuhrii began panicking, the sound of the robot's vine-slicing growing closer. Suddenly, the robot turned and looked straight at Nuhrii. "Got you," she snarled, before dashing forward towards her kill. Right before she reached the thicket Nuhrii was hiding in, a blade whizzed through the air, slamming into the robot's head. The blade whirled back towards its owner, a tall green robot adorned with animal fangs and a Kanohi Pakari. Mounted on his right forearm was some sort of blaster with a saw-blade launcher. In his left hand was a hunting spear. "Step away from the fire-spitter, Breez."

The aforementioned Breez looked shocked at first, before regaining her composure. "You should have remained dead." The mysterious new figure smirked. "Right. And I'm a rahi." Breez ran forward, smashing her barbed bow at her opponent. The other robot parried her attack with ease, before spinning and slashing at her with his staff. Breez blocked the strike with her shield, kicking the other figure backwards. The two clashed blades, locked into a fierce struggle. The robot feinted left, before delivering a downward slash to Breez's arm. She stumbled backwards, and the robot used the momentary distraction to launch a fully charged shot from his blaster directly into her chest. Breez fell down, deactivated.

Slowly, the victorious robot approached the thicket where Nuhrii had been watching the battle. "Come out, fire-spitter. I will not hurt you." Reluctantly, the Matoran obeyed his savior's command. The robot looked upon him with weary, yet kind eyes. "What is your name, little one?" he asked. Nuhrii replied slowly, "Nuhrii. Nuhrii the mask maker." The green robot smiled. "I see. Escaped from the incarceration camps, did you?" Nuhrii nodded, before asking, "Excuse me sir, but…who are you?" The robot paused for a moment before replying, "Lewa."


	2. Chapter 2

Nuhrii looked in awe upon his savior. "You mean you're Toa Lewa, Spirit of Air?" Lewa quickly frowned. "I am not a Toa; at least, not anymore. I lost the right to that title years ago." Nuhrii was puzzled by the warrior's odd behavior, but decided to not press the matter any further for now. Lewa then spoke, "Now I have a question for you, fire-spitter. Why were you being chased?" Nuhrii frowned, shivering with fear at the un-fond memories. "I had been ordered to deliver a shipment of new armor for the invaders last night. The only problem was that the work-load was so huge that I couldn't possibly get the shipment delivered without breaking the curfew. If I didn't deliver the shipment, all my workers and I would have been executed, or worse. If I broke the curfew, then one of the guards might have my head-" "And so you took your chances with the latter," Lewa finished grimly. "Well, I will say that you have guts, fire-spitter. However, I doubt you'll be able to return to the settlement now." Lewa paused for a moment, before deciding, "Therefore, I guess you will have to stay with me for a time."

"So, if you don't mind my asking, where have you been all these years?" Nuhrii asked the ex-toa. The two had been walking along a little-known trail used by Kavinika wolves. Lewa slashed at another vine. "If you must know, I have been here, in these jungles." Nuhrii hesitated before asking his next question, "Why didn't you fight the invaders with the rest of your Toa team?" Lewa stopped cutting the foliage ahead, and Nuhrii felt for a moment that he would soon be back at the camps, or worse. But Lewa simply turned around and, after giving the ta-matoran a scrutinizing look, told him, "You talk to much, fire-spitter." Nuhrii decided to not say anything else, unless he wanted to risk sleeping with the Nui-Jagas on the surface.

Presently, Lewa stopped in his tracks. "We have arrived," he told his companion. Nuhrii was puzzled; as far as he could tell, there was just more vines. Lewa noticed the matoran's confusion with a bemused expression, before tapping him on the shoulder and pointing upwards. Nuhrii tilted his head up, and was greeted with a spectacular sight. Without even realizing it, he had walked right to the base of a massive tree. Lewa chuckled a bit before ordering his companion, "climb onto my back and hang on." Nuhrii obliged, unsure of what was about to happen. With one swift movement, Lewa tugged on a vine that was a little yellower then the others, and the two were sent shooting into the sky, before gently landing on a wooden landing-platform in one of the upper-branches. Nuhrii climbed down from Lewa and stood gawking at the sight before him. Through an archway was an entire village full of Agori and a few Matoran. Lewa ushered the stunned Nuhrii inside with a smile. "Fire-spitter, welcome to Tesara."


	3. Chapter 3

The sight before him was breathtaking. An entire village had been built in the hollows of the giant tree. Nuhrii saw people from all walks of life: agori, matoran of all types (including a few rarer ones such as plasma), a handful of Vorox (looking much less beastly then he was used to), and a skakdi. Lewa tapped the matoran on the sholder, a bemused expression on his face. "If your done sight-gazing, I would like to give you the tour." Nuhrii shook himself out of his awestruck state and followed the warrior of air.

"I found this place abandoned long ago. It appears when the great-spirit robot broke down, the part that had been Tesara landed in these jungles, taking a tree form," Lewa explained to him as they passed a makeshift market. "Soon many refugees and outcasts arrived here, and we formed this community." Nuhrii glanced uncertainly at a Skrall manning a trading post. "But how do they all get along so well? I mean…some of the people here have been enemies for a long time." Lewa turned to his companion, replying simply, "Because they understand what's out there is far worse." Nuhrii knodded, knowing full well the horrors that less fortunate citizens back home faced.

"Aaaand here we are!" Lewa announced. "These are the sleeping quarters. Your dorm is the third door on the right. Rest up, fire-spitter. You'll need it." And with that, Lewa was off in the other direction. Nuhrii found the dorm easily, and entered it to see a simply furnished room with two bunks. He climbed into one of them wearily. Lewa was right, he thought. He was extremely tired from the running. Very quickly, the mask maker fell asleep.

He was awakened with a jolt by a loud bang. Nuhrii tore outside. It was nighttime, though the entire village was illuminated by raging fires. On the lower decks, he could see a few warriors battling the invaders. Nuhrii was overtaken by fear, then shame. The robots must have tracked him to Tesara, and now the peace of the kind villagers had been destroyed. Suddenly he was picked up, and he began to panic. One of the robots had found him, he was going to die, HE WAS GOING TO DIEE- "What do you think you're doing out here, Matoran!?" Nuhrii eased up slightly, as this voice was not the metallic ones of the robots. "You should be fleeing, you fool! …Here." The owner of the voice suddenly pulled Nuhrii up and onto the figure's back. He slowly opened his eyes, and found his savior to be none other than a Vorox. Said Vorox tilted his head up at Nuhrii and gave him a toothy grin. "Getting comfortable? Cause it's about to get a lot less so." The Vorox ran towards one of the landing pads, Nuhrii hanging on for dear life. The pair jumped off the board, freefalling towards the ground. Nuhrii was screaming in terror. The Vorox grabbed hold of a vine, and began swinging along it like a Brakas-monkey.

Presently, the two were far away from the burning ruins of Tesara. The flames of the bonfire could be seen for miles. The Vorox finally landed on the ground. "You can get off now." Nuhrii happily abliged. The Vorox looked him over, rubbing his chin. "Can't say I've seen you before. What did you say your name was?" "I didn't say it, but it's Nuhrii." The Vorox practiced saying it a few times, commiting it to memory. "Right. My name's Xryl" Nuhrii stumbled a bit over the name. "Pleased to meet you, um, Scrile?" The Vorox sighed. "Just call me Ryl. Everyone does." Nuhrii nodded. "Okay. So, what now?" Ryl turned towards the burning ruins. "We wait for Lewa and other survivors," he said, before adding, "if there are any."


	4. Chapter 4

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes began to pass into hours. Nuhrii was getting anxious; Xryl just kept staring back at the bonfire that had been Tesara. The Ta-Matoran finally broke the silence, "so…how did you get to Tesara, Ryl?" The Vorox turned and smirked. "Thought you'd ask eventually. I once was part of a tribe of Vorox that lived in Bota Magna. Our leader, Kabrua, was merciless and cruel. I didn't agree with his methods, and was subsequently exiled into the wilds. Months later, I met Lewa…"

(Flashback) 'Well,' thought Lewa, 'this isn't good.' Dozens of faces surrounded him, little spears in their hands, uttering strange tones he had never heard. That already made an awkward situation. Added to the fact that he was tied up without his weapons, and that the barbarians were readying a pot of water, made this a bit of a pickle. Lewa decided the best way out of this was to convince the villagers that he was some deity or something. He'd activate his mask of levitation and float above the villagers. Or just escape that way all together. But as Lewa was considering these options, a blade whizzed through the air at the villagers. The little green beings scattered. Lewa had his guard up, preparing for the worst. Out of the foliage then stepped a strange being…

(End Flashback) "I helped him adapt to the jungle. We've been good friends since then," Xryl finished. Nuhrii nodded, his question thoroughly answered. The Matoran sighed. "You think he escaped?" Ryl nodded. "Knowing him, he probably stayed behind until the last second, helping everyone he can. The jungle's made him gruff, and a bit of a daredevil, but he still is caring at heart." Nuhrii wasn't so sure, but just then he spotted something coming closer. Trudging slowly, with several beings behind him, was Lewa.


	5. Chapter 5

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," grinned Ryl. Lewa looked up, weariness evident in his expression, yet he managed a small smile. As his companions gathered into the clearing, he fell back against a nearby tree trunk. Nuhrii glanced at the new company. Two Agori (Earth and Iron, judging from their armor color), a Skrall warrior, three Skadi, and a small huddled group consisting of a Vo-Matoran, Ce-Matoran, two Po-Matoran, and a De-Matoran, were all those that had escaped the raid. Looking upon the sad group, Nuhrii again felt the pang of guilt that it might have been his fault these people had been forced out of their peaceful lifestyle.

While Ryl was conversing with the Skrall and Skakdi, possibly deciding a plan of action, Nuhrii decided he might as well get acquainted with the other Matoran. Shyly he approached the group, unsure at first whether to speak or not, until he worked up the courage for a small "excuse me". All the other Matoran quickly turned to look at him and he started to wonder if this had been a good idea or not. But he needn't have worried for one of the Po-Matoran spoke up, "oh thank goodness, another one made it out. Come over here…what was you're name again?" Nuhrii smiled; this was a good crowd to be with. "Nuhrii. My name is Nuhrii." The Po-Matoran who had spoken smiled. "Ah, yes. I'd heard of your mask-work before I got to Tesara. Didn't know you were among us too. Well, it's good to finally meet you. I'm Pekka." The two shook hands, and Nuhrii noted to himself that Pekka talked a lot. "This here's Ezta," said Pekka, pointing to the Vo-Matoran. In response to her name being said Ezta only gave a quick smile before returning to her discussion with "Kira, the brains of the operation, as it were." Continuing the tour Pekka pointed to the other Po-Matoran. "Seno here's a whizz with mechanics and my best friend. And that guy over there," he pointed to the De-Matoran,"is Voku. Bit of a loner, but he pulls through like the rest of us."

With Pekka's speech finished, Nuhrii had time to size up the group. They seemed friendly but also had seen their fair share of troubles. "You guys are pretty close, huh?" Nuhrii noted. Seno nodded. "We all reached Tesara around the same time and we've been close ever since. We use to run recon around the village, make sure nothing…unwanted got too close." And just like that, Nuhrii was yet again reminded of the guilt that he bore. It was really becoming a hassle by now. "Wish I could have helped you guys…I might have been able to do…something…" "Now stop right there," Kira interrupted. "You were a new arrival, correct? In that case there's nothing for you to feel bad about. If anything, the blame lies on us, not you." "And besides," Pekka added, putting a reassuring hand on Nuhrii's sholder, "you can help make a difference now. Put your talents to use to keep the group alive an' such." Nuhrii managed a smile. These were good people.

After a minute Lewa finally spoke up, "Alright, listen up. We obviously can't stay here as the invaders might still be scouting the area. However, we still need rest-sleep. Therefore, it has been decided that we are going to head to Outpost E." This last statement was met with gasps, leaving Nuhrii puzzled. "I know, I know," continued Lewa, "however, it is the closest outpost and the least likely to be found. As such, we move." Lewa took one last look around before adding, "and with minimal complaining. Now come on! Quick-move!" As the company began their sluggish march, Nuhrii sidled up to Ezta and asked, "what's wrong with Outpost E?" Ezta shot him a questioning look. "You don't know? Outpost E is…" "Is what?" Nuhrii pressed. Ezta hesitated a moment more, before giving in. "Outpost E is the ruins of the cursed-one's prison."


	6. Chapter 6

The march was a slow and silent one, Lewa leading the way through the dense foliage. Vokku was right at home in the quiet that followed the precession like a blanket, and even Pekka kept his mouth closed, a feat that, despite only knowing him for a couple minutes, seemed almost impossible to Nuhrii. Vines and ferns soon gave way to scattered stone blocks, a totem here and there, until at long last the company gazed upon the crumbled remains of a prison. Kira whispered to the other Matoran, "Outpost E. Apparently it used to house a Great Being who went mad when he touched the mask of life. Then a couple months after Mata Nui restored the planet, the entire building collapsed with the Great Being and several others inside."

Nuhrii shivered, despite the humid jungle air. It was like trespassing into a graveyard; everything was still and quiet, a soft unsettling wind blowing past. An empty, long-forgotten shell of a mask on the threshold didn't make matters any easier on the Matoran's nerves. Lewa was unfazed by the grim signs all around him. "This room here is the most stable. Set up camp, then get some rest." And with that, the warrior of the jungle turned away from his companions.

While the other Matoran were attempting to make a reasonable camp out of the sparse materials they had brought, Nuhrii caught sight of Seno fiddling about in a corner of the chamber. Puzzled, the Ta-Matoran approached to see what he was up to. Seno turned and flashed a grin. "You won't believe what I've found. Take a look!" Nuhrii gazed past and saw a pile of machinery, protodermis metal, and, to his delight, several intact Kanoka disks. "Pretty cool, huh?" Seno asked, the smile still plastered on his eccentric face. "I'm good at finding mechanical objects." "Sure you're not a Fe-Matoran then?" Nuhrii joked while picking up a disk. This received a laugh from both Matoran, though Nuhrii was soon frowning. "If only I still had my fire staff…I could probably make us something useful-" "As it happens," Seno interrupted, "I have a tool kit I keep with me at all times. And you'll never guess what's included." With that Seno withdrew a fire staff, rusty yet in otherwise good condition. Nuhrii gasped. "Your just full of surprises." Seno gave a thumbs up in reply.

Minutes turned into hours, with the others long asleep. Yet far into the night the two engineers worked at their art, sparks flying and a soft buzzing filling the air. At last, as day finally broke, the two looked upon their finished creations. Before them was a set of masks and weapons designed specifically for the Matoran. There was a "sonic blaster" for Voku, an electric staff for Etza, a modified Nyhra-ghost blaster for Kira, and a stone hammer for Pekka. Finally, Seno had improved the fire-staff to now launch small bursts of flame and given it to Nuhrii. As for Seno himself, he only replied that he was working on a "long-term project", and wouldn't reveal any more details about it. Nuhrii had also been hard at work, using a special forging method he himself had developed to create weaker masks of power that Matoran could wear. Exhausted, Nuhrii and Seno wrote a note attached to the weapons and masks, before preparing to fall asleep.

Nuhrii was surrounded by darkness. Around him swirled terrifying images, everything from the invaders who ruled the planet to the rogue raiders who plagued the highways. All of a sudden, a blinding golden light radiated forth, forcing Nuhrii to shut his eyes. When he finally opened them, he saw before him the Mask of Life itself. Awestruck, the Fire Matoran found himself at a loss for words, only managing a small squeak. In a powerful, yet kind voice, the mask spoke.

"Dark beings of metal strike from the stars, enslave our people behind dark bars. Six will rise to combat the foe, one amongst them has power that they do not know. An ally in their enemy they will find, and a fallen hero shall redeem his kind. These events must come to pass in their turn, else Spherus Magna shall shatter and burn."

Nuhrii shot up, panic in his breath. Realizing where he was, he relaxed a little. It was only a dream, yet if felt so real. Suddenly he realized that Voku was staring at him. "Bad dream?" he asked in his soft voice. Nuhrii nodded, receiving a smirk from Voku. "Get up, eat breakfast." Nuhrii happily rose from the ground to do so. As Voku walked away, he turned and quietly said, "Thanks for the blaster, but don't stay up so late unless you want more visions." As Nuhrii watched the De-Matoran go, he couldn't help but wonder exactly how Voku knew he had seen a vision, and if perhaps he actually did want another vision after all.


	7. Chapter 7

A cold, hollow sound echoed against the white walls of the fortress. Each step resonated as a metallic clang. Deep in the lower levels of the tower light was a pale blue, and not very frequent. After all, prisoners were to be kept in darkness until meeting the light of justice on their execution day. At least, that was what the leaders always said; Nex never really cared for symbolism. As the steps grew nearer, the orange robot made out a steely figure approaching. Recognizing the being that approached, Nex offered a quick salute. The gesture was returned as his new companion spoke.

"At ease Sergeant Nex. I have come bearing new orders."

"Lieutenant Bulk, I was given strict orders to await the new prisoners," Nex replied, before adding, "I've heard this batch is quite deadly."

"I am to take your post," Bulk answered. "You must head to Medical Bay 7165." Nex raised an eye in question at this; he had been operating regularly for five cycles now. Nex was an engineer, not a soldier. Bulk continued, "One of our soldiers was deactivated during pursuit of a fugitive. We need you to question her and find out how."

Nex nodded. "I will head there at once, sir."

Minutes later, Nex boarded the lift to the upper floors. Surrounded by the pure white walls, his computer-mind turned to bitter thoughts. It was always like this, ordered from one end of the tower to another by rival officers trying to establish dominion over the lower-ranked members. Nex had been a part of Alpha Team, yet was the only one to not receive rank of Leutenant or higher. Even that smug git Rocka had become a Major, and he joined after Nex!

The blue-glass doors opened with a soft hiss, and Nex stepped out of the elevator. It was much brighter up here, with windows opening to the light of day. As he walked by, he glanced out at the alien world below. Far below he could glimpse the stone-grey camps below, where the beings of this world were made to labor. He could see a rectangular building where he knew the smaller ones were working at their crafts: metal-work, assembly, and transportation. Further to the south were the quarries and mines, where the larger ones labored at their stones. All this industry, Nex knew, would go to advancing his kind's military might, and contribute to the glory of their new empire.

Arriving at Medical Bay 7165, Nex pressed his hand on a panel, causing the door to slide open. Stretched out on a bed of white iron was a figure clad in green. Nex recognized this figure as Breez, a close friend and coworker. Breez had also gotten the short end of the stick, becoming a mere seargent like Nex; perhaps it was this fact that caused them to grow closer in friendship. But that was wrong, Nex realized. There were no friendships in the empire, for that caused weakness. Comradery was the only relationship allowed amongst the robots. Looking upon Breez, Nex noticed several gashes in her armor not caused by contact with a solid weapon; rather, the area around her core looked as if it had been struck by an energy-based weapon. And yet all those types of weapons had been seized for the war!

Breez stirred, before rising with a groan. "Ugh…what the hell happened?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Nex replied, tossing her a med-kit.

"Well," Breez began, still dazed, "as far as I can remember, I was hunting down that fugitive…what do you call them? Matoran? Well, I was following his heat signature and was about to capture him when a blade hit me. That's when I saw him. He was a warrior in green, looked like something that came straight out of the jungle. But I recognized him for what he was. A Toa warrior." Nex raised his eye at this. According to official records, all Toa were either in servitude to the empire or had been terminated. Breez continued, "Not just any Toa either. It was Lewa, the master of Air."

Nex nearly laughed. "Please. All the master Toa were killed at the start of the war, Lewa included."

Breez wasn't smiling. "That's what I thought, but there he was. We fought, but I guess he overpowered me. It was weird Nex…he shot this blaster at me, but it felt like I had been struck with the force of a hurricane."

Nex nodded as he listened, absorbing the details for his report to command later. The blaster explained his earlier observation about the marks around Breez's core, and the hurricane-like blast made sense if a Toa of Air had been involved. He only asked one question, "if it really was Lewa, why didn't he use his powers over air?"

Breez thought a moment, then replied, "I'm not really sure. Maybe he didn't want to be recognized. After all, using his power would give him away for sure."

His questions finished, Nex left Breez to her rest and began walking to the lift. As he passed by, a sudden alert flashed across a notice panel. It read, "All officers, please report to the conference room for briefing." Nex sighed. Those rebels never gave anyone peace, it seemed.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I'm not dead. Sure I took a bit of a break, went camping here and there, and school got just that little bit harder. But I'm still kicking. And so is this fanfiction. So there.

By the time Nex entered the conference room it was already jam-packed. He recognized a few of his old Alpha Teammates, a few Corporals originally from Sigma Team who had been built at the same time as him, and the impressive figure of Major General Furno at the head of the table. A wave of disgust swept through Nex: he and Furno had once been good teammates, but ever since the latter's unusually rapid promotion Nex had grown to hate him. Not letting his loathing show on his face, Nex took his designated seat.

The conference room was more of a large corridor. The table and room had to be massive in order to accommodate the growing number of officers. The walls were shiny steel and bare, save for a large screen behind the head of the table. In front of each of the numerous chairs were name-plaques depicting to whom the seat belonged to, as well as small holo-projectors. A general murmur of chitchat filled room, but as Furno raised his hand for silence all noise vanished. For a few seconds everyone sat absolutely still, the air almost shattering with unspoken anticipation. Then suddenly the massive screen flickered to life. Every robot in the room stood and saluted.

"At ease, officers," a deep metallic voice said. Everyone took his or her seat. "I have called you here today to inform you of a new plan," the figure onscreen continued. "A drastic plan that, if and when it succeeds, will consolidate our power on this planet and crush all native resistance for good." Some of the officers shot glances at each other, but no one dared speak out of line. "This plan will of course, require the complete devotion of each and every one of you. You will do things you may not want to do. But you will do them, or you will be executed. Should you not be prepared to fully devote yourselves to the plan, you may leave the room and be stripped of your rank." No one moved a muscle. They knew too well that their demotion would be the least of their problems should they exit. "Excellent," the leader continued. "Now for the specifics. Major Rocka, if you would be so kind?"

"Yes sir. After thorough recon we have discovered several major rebel encampment," Rocka explained, before clicking a button on his helmet. Imediately the holo-projectors flicked on, displaying a globe with several red marks. Rocka continued, "These sites contain nodes of raw elemental energy. It is possible that the rebels seek to use these sources to power weapons of some kind. Left unchecked they could prove dangerous. Captured for ourselves, they will make us unstoppable."

"Have you identified what the source of this energy is?" everyone's heads turned. The voice belonged to Surge.

"As we have clearly not captured any sights," Rocka replied, not bothering to hide his irritation, "we obviously can't know, now can we?"

"Enough," the leader's voice boomed. "The exact nature of the energy is irrelevant. What is important is capturing these sights." The figure paused, before continuing. "Phase one of the plan is to send armed teams to capture these sites. Most assuredly they will be inhabited by rebels. I am hereby giving you clearance to use deadly force. Capture them alive if you can. If not, then it is of no consequence."

"Phase two," the leader went on, "involves using these energies to bolster our military capabilities. We will create new weapons, armor, vehicles, even new soldiers. When this time comes, some of you will be asked to volunteer as test subjects. Some of you will have to experiment on your fellow soldiers. I should hope," he paused, letting his words take effect, "that each of you will be willing to do what you must for the good of the empire." Nex shot an uncertain glance at Breez; and hoped that he wouldn't have to experiment on another soldier, especially not her. Furno on the other hand…he could make an exception for him

"Phase Three is perhaps the most simple," their leader was speaking again. "With our new military prowess we remove all opposition. In other words, we terminate the natives. All of them.

Nex was aghast at this, which earned him some glares from his comrades. Realizing he was treading in dangerous territory, Nex quickly said, "Forgive me, sir, but I don't understand. With all our workers gone, how will we maintain our empire?"

"By this time our drone force will be sufficient enough to perform all the labor we require. We will have no need of the natives, who would most certainly continue their feeble resistance. We will wipe them out, then proceed to other worlds and add to our empire. This is the plan. Phase one begins effective immediately. You will receive detailed instructions from your regiment leader. Dismissed."

All of the officers rose and saluted the screen, before turning to leave. Nex proceeded to the elevator that would take him to his quarters, lost in thought. He knew he shouldn't and couldn't disobey orders, that he needed to follow the plan and terminate this planet's people…and yet somehow he knew already that he couldn't do it. It wasn't in his nature to kill innocents. He was an engineer, not a soldier. He built, not destroyed. Lost in thought Nex almost crashed into another soldier. Shocked out of his revery, he just barely managed to avoid crashing head on. Instead the two robot's shoulders merely bumped into each other. The other figure, who Nex now recognized as stringer, dropped something in the collision. Seeing this, Nex stooped down to pick up the object, a flash drive. Standing up again he was about to call out after Stringer when he realized he was long gone. Nex decided to return the drive in the morning; it was too late to do anything now anyway.


End file.
